Combat vehicle



Jan. 18, 1938. A. w. HERRINGTON 2, ,917

COMBAT VEHICLE Filed Aug. 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l a Q o k 'a Q a, I

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Jan. 18, 1938. w HERRlNGTON 2,105,917

COMBAT VEHICLE Filed Aug. 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VENTOR.

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Patented Jan. 18, 1938 COMBAT VEHICLE Arthur W. Herrington,Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Marmon-Herrington Company, Inc.,Indianapolis, Ind., a, corporation of Indiana Application August 8,1936, Serial No. 94,983

8 Claim.

This application is a continuation, in part, of

guy gpplication Serial No, 39,779, filed September The object of thepresent invention is to provide improved means, in a vehicle of theendless-tread type for supporting one bight of such endlesstread, inconnection with a main hull-like main body the major or lower portion ofwhich is desired to be water tight, by which the tension of theendless-tread may be readily adjusted from within the water tightportion of the main body without sacrifice of the water tightcharacteristics.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the vehicle embodying my invention, aportion of the main body being broken away to show an internal member ofthe adjusting means;

Fig. 2 is afragmentary axial section through the'belt supporting idlerand the adjustable support therefor;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modification;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings I0 indicates the hull-like main body, the lower portionof which, below the external running board I0, is to be water tight.

Mounted in the forward end of the main body I0 is an axially fixeddriving axle structure, the ends of which project through the main body,each of the projecting ends carrying an external driving sprocket wheelvI2. This axle structure II is journaled in bearings carried by the mainbody, said bearings being of well known form and presenting nodifiiculty as to packing against entry of water in the main body. At therear end of the main body, in the longitudinal plane of the sprocketstructure I2 is a take-up wheel I3 which supports the rear bight of theendless-track belt I4, the inner face of which carries medial metallinks I5, the peripheries of the wheels I2 and I3 beingcircumferentially grooved or otherwise formed to receive these links.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2.

The take-up wheel I3 is journaled upon a pin bolted eccentrically uponthe outer face of a plate 6| which, on its opposite face, is providedwith a circular pocket 62 eccentric to the axis of pin 60. Held inpocket 62 by bolts 63 is the circular head 64 of a hub, or sleeve, 65,the axis oi which is parallel with and variably eccentric to the axis ofpin 60.

Sleeve 65 is splined upon a pin 66 which is provided with a head 61seated in a pocket 68 in the end of sleeve 65 adjacent plate 6 I. Thesleeve 5 65 is supported by bearings 69 in a sleeve 10 bolted upon theinner face of the side plate of the main body I0. Splined on the innerend of pin 66 is a lever 'lI connected by a link 12 with the short armof a lever 13 pivoted upon the inner 10 face of the side plate of themain body wherein the long arm of lever I3 is connected by atensionspring I4 to a suitable anchorage within the main body. Link 12is adjustable in length by means of a medial turn-buckle I5. 15

It will be noted that in this construction the position of the axis ofpin 60 relative to the length of the track belt is varied, withvariations in the effective length of the belt, by mechanism which iswithin the hull and, therefore, effectively protected against injury bygun fire or collision.

It will also be noted that the eccentricity of the pin 60 relative tothe axis of sleeve 65 may be adjusted by rotating head 64 in its pocket62, so that considerable variation in length of the track belt may bereadily compensated in the field.

The oil seal insures against entry of water in the main body.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The construction illustrated inthese figures, like that 30 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, permits control oftension in the endless track belts from the water-tight interior of themain body and is, perhaps somewhat more sturdy.

In this form the idler I3 is' journaled on stud 5 I00 carried by plateIOI which is bolted to the sliding carrier I02 slidably supported inguideways I03, I03 which are bolted to the outer faces of the sideplates of main body I0. These guideways may be made very sturdy withinthe available dimensions and, as the carrier I02 is supported thereinalong top and bottom edges, carrier I02 furnishes an extremely rigidsupport for idler I3. Idler sprocket I3 is journaled on stud I00 bymeans of suitable antifriction bearings B 45 which may be readilygrease-packed to exclude water. I

Each side wall of the main body I0 is perforated at I I0 and secured tothe inner face of each side wall at this perforation is a bearingbracket III in which is journaled a rock-shaft H2 the outer end of whichprojects through perforation H0 and carries a cam or finger II3 adaptedto bear against the forward edge of carrier I02.

shaft H2 is supported in suitable bearings I motor vehicle body which ishollow and which which are water-tight at 5, and its inner end carriesan arm H6 to which is secured one end of a spring H1 adjustablyanchored, at 8, on the rear end wall of the main ,body III.

A bracket I20, attached to the outer face of the rear wall of the mainbody I0, is provided with a threaded ear I2! which carries a threadedstop pin I22 arranged in position to limit movement of carrier I02 underthe action of cam H3.

I use the term hull" herein to designate a has a substantial lower zonewhich is designed to be Water-tight and capable of receiving,passengers, motor and other mechanism within that water-tight zone.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a motor vehicle of the endless-tread type, the combination of thehull, a journal bearing piercing a side wall of the hull, a rock shaftjournalled in said bearing with one end within the interior of the hulland its other end outside the hull, a wheel-pintle carried by said rockshaft with its axis parallel with and eccentric to theaxis of the rockshaft, a belt-supporting idler journalled on said pintle, an arm carriedby the inner end of the rock-shaft within the hull, and spring meanswithin the hull and acting upon said arm to rock said shaft in onedirection.

2. In a motor vehicle of the endless-tread type, the combination of thehull, a journal bearing piercing a side wall of the hull, a rock shaftjournalled in said bearing with one end within the interior of the hulland its other end outside the hull, a wheel-pintle carried by said rockshaft with its axis payallel with and eccentric to the axis of the rockshaft, a belt-supporting idler journalled on said pintle, an arm carriedby theinner end of the rock-shaft within the hull, and spring meanswithin the hull and acting upon said arm to rock said shaft in onedirection, said means comprising a lever and a variable-length link.

3. In a motor vehicle of the endless-tread type, the combination of thehull, a journal bearing supported by the side wall of the hull, arockshaft journalled in said bearing and piercing said side wall,water-sealing means associated with hull and shaft, a wheel-pintlearranged outside the hull and shiftable laterally of its axis, springmeans arranged within the hull for biasing said shaft in one direction,and a connec tion between the outer end of said rock-shaft and saidwheel pintle whereby said pintle is laterally biased by said springmeans.

4. In a motor vehicle of the endless-tread type, the combination of thehull, a journal bearing carried by the side wall of the hull, arock-shaft journalled in said bearing and piercing the said side wall,water-sealing means associated with said bearing, spring means Withinthe hull biasing said rock shaft in one direction, a wheel pintle, acarrierfor said pintle slidably mounted in ways attached externally tothe side wall of the hull, and an arm connecting the outer end of therock-shaft with said pintle carrier to transfer the spring bias to saidpintle.

5. In a motor vehicle of the endless-tread type, the combination of awater-,tight hull, an endless-tread belt outside the hull, a sprocketwithin and overrun by said belt, a rock-shaft projected laterallythrough said hull adjacent one end of the hull, a pin outside the hulland shlftable laterally of its axis, means connecting said pin and shaftwhereby angular movement of the shaft will vary the position of the pinlaterally of the shaft axis, a second sprocket wheel journailed on saidpin within and overrun by said belt, and means within the hull forangularly adjusting said rock-shaft.

6. In a motor vehicle of the endless-tread type, the combination of awater-tight hull, an endless-tread belt outside the hull, a sprocketwithin and overrun by said belt, a rock-shaft projected laterallythrough said hull adjacent one end of the hull, a pin outside the hulland shiftable laterally of its axisgmeans connecting said pin and shaftwhereby angular movement of theshaft will vary the position of the pinlaterally of the shaft axis, a second sprocket wheel jour-" the interiorof the hull and its other end outside the hull, a wheel-pintle carriedby said rockshaft with its axis parallel with and eccentric to the axisof the rock-shaft, a belt supporting idler journalled on said pintle, anarm carried by the inner end of the rock-shaft within the hull, andmeans by which said rock-shaft may be angularly adjusted.

8. In a motor vehicle of the endless-tread type, the combination of thehull, a. journal bearing piercing a side wall of the hull, a rock-shaftjournalled in said bearing with one end within the interior of the hulland itsother end outside the hull, a wheel-pintle carried by saidrockshaft with its axis parallel with and eccentric to the axis of therock-shaft, a belt-supporting idler journalled on said pintle, an armcarried by the inner end of the rock-shaft within the hull, a leverconnected to said rock-shaft, and a variable length link interposedbetween said lever and the hull.

ARTHUR W. HERRING'I'ON.

